; de the land of Canaan in order to their receiving an inheritance by lot, as though they had been all first-born, Jofh. xv-xx. 4. God's Angel, or Reprefentative, fcending on Mount Sinai, as Governor of the Ifraelites, in order to give the law, Pfal. Ixviii. 17, 18. compared with Eph. iv. 9. and in fome cafes jud-" and they becoming ging (and punishing) them immediately. xx. 41. xxi. 3. and, See Numb. xv. 37,38. xvi. 31-50. 4. "God, the Governor of all men, "both Jews and Gen"tiles," judging the faints, and dwelling with them in paradise, becoming "their "God" (or King), "his people," Rev. at the end of a thoufand years, judging the wicked, Rev. xx. 11-15. eating and drinking in fifting of the "apoftles his prefence (the firft" and elders" (who Synedrion or great council of the Ifraelites), while the people were kept at a diftance, Exod. xxiv. 1, 2, 9, 10, 11 h, had the greatest portion of the choiceft gifts of the Spirit), compofing the first Synedrion, or great council of Christians (diftinct from the brethren), met together to confult, Acts xv. 6, 23. though the brethren are prefent at the debate, and afterwards join in the refolution that was The 9th, 10th, and fith verfes fhould follow the ift and 2d, and fo make the 3d, 4th, and 5th: and then that which now ftands the 3d verfe fhould be the 6th; the 4th fhould be the 7th; the 5th fhould be the 8th; the 6th the 9th; the 7th fhould be the 10th; the 8th the Irth; and that which is now the 12th should follow; and so on, as they now ftand, to the end of the chapter. That there is such a tranfpofition, and that this is the way to fet it right, will evidently appear to any one that reads that chapter; and may farther appear by the order in which thefe particulars are ranged in this text. "the Lord" (yet offending at Meffah and Meribah), the mediator of the old covenant, Gal. iii. 19, 20. fprinkling the blood of the beafts, that he had flain, on the people, Exod. xxiv. 5—9. to the purification of the flesh, Heb. ix. 13. "of God, the Medi"ator of the new" (and better) ❝ cove"nant," by whofe blood (fpilt by the imitators of Cain, 1 John iii. 10--13.) 66 we are fprinkled "from an evil con“ science," Heb. x. 22. " and whose blood fpeaks better things "than (even) that of (righteous) Abel," that fell a facrifice to Cain, the first child of the devil, 1 John iii. 10--13. 66 66 IV. The exhortation couched in all this long connection, and in these paffages thus explained, both as to their meaning and their order, is this: Live by faith! the faith that I have described, and of which I have given you fuch illuftrious examples, chap. xi. and xii; and then you will not, by preferring your eafe and fecurity to your heavenly inheritance, lofe it, through a like contempt of it as Efau formerly fhewed of his heavenly inheritance, and of that birthright which was the pledge of it. But, on the other hand, hand, being so much more fully informed of the particulars of your heavenly inheritance, and so much better affured of poffeffing it, than any of your ancestors ever were; particularly on feeing that the grandeur and glory of that ftate, in which you are to have your inheritance, will fo greatly exceed the most majestic circumstances that appeared at the giving of the law; and without any of that terror which made the most majestic circumstance at the giving the law; I fay, on all this fuller information and affurance of these feveral particulars of your inheritance, you will undoubtedly endure the contradiction of finners, in some meafure, as Jefus, the Director and Rewarder of your Christian course, did (who had the joy, that was to be his recompence, immediately fet before him, as you have in some fort yours); and will at leaft moft affuredly hold out full as well as thofe heroes of your nation did, who bore great trials, in hope of this inheritance; though they only faw it indiftinctly, and afar off: efpecially, fince God has not yet called you" to refift unto blood," as he has Jefus, and many of that cloud of witnefles which encompasses you. |